Japan beat Brazil 3-2 in Singapore after substitute Tatsuhiro Sakamoto scored in stoppage time, with Brazil forward Raphinha and manager Carlo Ancelotti sent off following protests over the winning goal.
Japan had taken a two-goal lead through Takefusa Kubo and Keito Nakamura inside the opening 19 minutes, only for Vinicius Jr to bring Brazil level with a second-half brace.
Sakamoto settled the friendly when he followed up after Kodai Sano’s deflected effort, firing into the net in front of 38,688 spectators at the National Stadium.
Brazil appealed for a foul during the build-up, but VAR upheld the decision to award the goal. Raphinha and Ancelotti were then shown red cards for their reactions.
Ancelotti appeared surprised by his dismissal, while Raphinha had to be led away by midfielder Marlon Gomes and team officials as he tried to approach referee Jansen Foo. Vinicius and Bruno Guimaraes also confronted the official.
“The referee gave me a red card because he said I wasn’t able to control the bench and that all the players were on the field,” Ancelotti said.
The Brazil manager acknowledged the result but argued that his side had produced encouraging football for much of the match.
“It’s a shame about the result because we don’t like to lose the game, but we have to look at what we did well. There are many positives. Some players who played for the first time showed good quality. For 70 minutes, the team played well,” he said.
Ancelotti added: “The result, obviously, was influenced by the referee’s performance, … but it’s not his fault. It was a high-level match, and I don’t think he had the experience to handle this kind of game.”
Raphinha apologises after Japan victory
Raphinha apologised for his conduct but continued to criticise the refereeing after the match, describing the sending-off as “unacceptable”.
“First of all, I’d like to take this opportunity to apologise for my behaviour and for being sent off,” the Brazil captain said.
He claimed Japan’s first goal involved a handball, believed Brazil should have been awarded a first-half penalty and said there had been a foul on Joao Gomes before the decisive third goal.
“Sometimes it’s hard to keep calm, especially after what I felt were so many refereeing errors during the match,” Raphinha said. “I tried to speak to him several times, and not once did I feel he was open to discussion.”
The result carried particular significance for Japan, who were knocked out by Brazil in the World Cup last 32 after Gabriel Martinelli scored in stoppage time to complete a 2-1 comeback.
Japan manager Hajime Moriyasu said the performance was the best of his eight-year tenure.
“Brazil’s intensity went up once we took the lead, and it was all about what we could do then,” Moriyasu said. “Our players performed at the world’s top standard. These wins lead to victories at the World Cup, and I hope they continue to do the same.”
The 58-year-old is expected to step down after Japan’s friendly against Paraguay on Tuesday, with Go Oiwa set to succeed him.
“Now I need to pass the baton to the next coach, and that’s all I am focusing on,” Moriyasu said.
